GF music review club

[Guest]

Have you lot been dropping acid?

No more than normal.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Possibly an odd skid...

 

You leave me out of this. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Review: The Fall - The Infotainment Scan

 

I once listened to a The Fall record, didn't like it at all, never bothered with them again since...

 

[presses play]

 

Ladybird (Green Grass) - not keen on the drum sound but a nice bass riff ushers us in. On the fence with the vocals, guitar could be a tad higher in the mix. Pleasant enough start though, not bad at all.

 

Lost In Music starts with a nice guitar sound and bass, I cannot understand what the singer is saying, sounds like he's had a stroke (has he?). Really like this dancey cover though, I did like the original better. Excellent.

 

Glam Racket - The opening drum riff is total T-Rex, I can feel the glam leaping from the speakers. Would love for a real singer though, to lift the song even higher and carrry a big fat melody. I do like this though, not bad at all.

 

I'm Going To Spain - "I've sold my car, I've quit my job, I'm 34 years old". The sound really dates this but in a warm, good way. I can hear early Stone Roses in this.

 

It's A Curse - A nice rocky riff but the singer's drawl is beginning to grate on me if I'm honest. Enjoying the music but it could be so much more.

"Operation mindfuck - I didn't like your tone...". Sorry pal ! I really like this song though.

 

Paranoia Man In Cheap Shit Room starts with a cracking tear up, but again I find my enjoyment of the music tempered by the frustrating vocals.

 

Service has another nice 80's mix. I like the piano and the riffs, haven't got a clue what the singer is prattling on about (which might be a shame). The vocal is very affected, aren't these boys from Manchester? The singer sounds like a poor Elvis impersonator or a Jello Biafra wannabe.

 

The League Of Bald Headed Men has a big dirty riff and more soapbox vocals.

 

Past Gone Mad has a nice upbeat, dancey opening, nice riffage and energy throughout. Possibly my favourite song yet.

 

Light / Fireworks is vaguely reminiscent of some Radiohead experimental / noise shenanigans. There's no song here, only a brief outro jam.

 

So, I found The Fall's Infotainment Scan to be a frustrating experience; I really enjoyed the music, (far more than I thought I would tbh) finding it varied and surprisingly technical at times, the 80's production also adding something to this, but it could have been so much more with a real singer and some big booming melodies.

Enjoyed it, but something of a missed opportunity. 7/10

[ZonkoVille77]

The Fall - The Infotainment Scan

 

I googled reviews of this album and I was surprised by the general consensus that this album is very good. It regularly got 4/5 scores on most of the mainstream review sites.

The thing is, I can't see how the fuck it's held in such high esteem! The vocals are pure shite all the way through. Not once did I think there was a decent delivery, in fact the stupid cunt can't even sing. He's just chatting shit. Which is a pity because there are some really good moments here musically. "Signature, Sarcastic delivery" - my big hole it is.

 

Ladybird (Green Grass) - good musically. Nice rhythmic start. Then that stupid irritating voice shites all over it.

 

Lost in Music - I like the original. I like this muscially. Can't hear what he's singing. Possibly has his own balls in his mouth.

 

Glam Rocket - So much potential wasted.

 

I'm going to Spain - fuck off then. Rubbish.

 

It's a curse - same again, great potential lost. Could imagine Bono writing and singing something over this music and elevating it to another level altogether.

 

Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room - had all the potential of being a good track. Vocals ruining it.

 

Service - I like the piano and the horn parts. Quite poppy compared to the rest and probably the track I enjoyed most.

 

The League of Bald Headed Men - Good riff. Little else.

 

Past Gone Mad - bit of a big club track this one. Love the beat in it. Good track.

 

Light/Fireworks - bit of experimental keeping the electronic theme.

 

I'll break this into 2 parts:

1 - The Band

On the whole it feels like a band trying to "stay relevant". All around them dance music or baggy indie music was being heralded as the next movement. This smacks of an attempt to play at both sides. Sometimes it works. You have to appreciate them trying.

2 - The Singer

Mark E Smith is possibly the worst vocalist I've ever heard and I include that Wagner bloke off the X-Factor a few years ago.

 

5/10 - sorry, Winston.

[cloggypop]

Loving these shouts that The Fall needed to replace the singer. Ha ha!

[Boss]

I have to hear it now after ZonkoVille and Clarence's review. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Pleased I got my review of Winston's AOW up early. Hope you fellas have fun dropping yours in with the new forum format.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Any more reviews coming for Winston's AOW, Infotainment Scan by The Fall?

Next AOW will be coming on Wednesday...if I can suss how to post the linkage on this new forum.

[Guest]

I'm going to listen to this later today, I have listened to bits and pieces of it.

[Guest]

The Infotainment Scam by The Fall.

I have listened to this album (or at least as much as I could) and it's left me feeling a little bit confused.

At times the music is really masterful - the production of the musicians is high quality as is the playing but the delivery of the vocals are extremely difficult for me to stay tuned in to. At times it's like I am listening to 'Daft Punk is playing in my house' by LCD Soundsystem but obviously I am not.

It's certainly a weird album and hard to classify and it's not the sort of album I would go out of my way to listen to. 

I can appreciate the work that would have gone in to making the album but the result is less than stellar.

5/10 from me, Clive.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Last call for reviews fellas. New AOW tomorrow... 

[Carvalho Diablo]

No more reviews of The Fall's Infortainment Scan ?

 

Okay then, about time for my own new AOW, Adore by Smashing Pumpkins.

 

I had narrowed this selection down to around 6 or 7 albums, but what made my mind up to choose Adore were the several previous choices by club members, all raw and dirty guitar based albums, so I decided to chhange things up a bit and go all bit electronic, a bit synthy, but still with plenty of guitar. My favourite Pumpkins album is a bit of a black sheep in their cannon of work, largely because of this.

 

Plenty of melody and haunting tunes, hope you all enjoy it.

 

Adore by Smashing Pumpkins

 

 

 

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

 GF Music Club Youtube channel

 

GF Music Club Spotify channel

 

 

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Hope you lads like the latest AOW.

 

Next man up with his latest AOW is Zonkoville77, due in 2 weeks time, around 2nd or 3rd of October.

 

Following Zonko in our rotation is RedTalisker and then our two new members, Clarence and BabbsBurstNad.

 

Feel free to drop those Infotainment Sacn reviews in too.

[ZonkoVille77]

Great minds... I was going to choose that album believe it or not. It's excellent. Nice one.

[Carvalho Diablo]

1 hour ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

Great minds... I was going to choose that album believe it or not. It's excellent. Nice one.

 

Haha. Skids beat me to the punch with his Lovage album a couple of months ago too. Weird.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Apologies for the tardiness. I'm probably breaking all sorts of rules here, but I'm going to do it anyway, deadlines be damned.

 

AOW - Infotainment Scan by The Fall

 

I've never really understood Smith’s appeal, on the few occasions I've tried to make inroads into The Fall's discography I've found his style impenetrable, and left suspecting he was an artschool tit hellbent on experimentalism at the expense of the music itself. Having said all that, I found Infotainment Scan far more accessible than other albums... in parts.

 

Ladybird opens proceedings with what I expect of Smith, a laconic drawl delivering thoughts like a stream of consciousness, narrating a feeling as opposed to singing a lyric. The deliberate tactic of speaking across the rhythm of the track is evident. It might also be why I don't tend to feel comfortable listening to it.

 

Lost in Music has another experimental opening, noise instead of instruments. Yet, it's a pretty good cover once things build, the underlying Sister Sledge funk is still there, leaving me nodding along. The repetition of lyrics suits Smith well.

 

Glam Racket seems the wittiest track, sneering at its target "You are working on a video project." Though I hope the line about reading Viz comics is not meant in a pejorative manner otherwise I'll Big Vern him!

 

I’m Going to Spain is pleasingly straightforward and accessible. Some guitar, lyrics I can follow and synth in the background to top it all off. Love me a bit of synth. The breathy upward inflection of the vocals makes me wonder if Pete Doherty wasn't / isn't (delete if the dirty finger-nailed grotbag has carked it) a fan of Smith's. There's definitely a hint of a Cure vibe there too, which I like, maybe it's the clicking and synth in tandem.

 

It’s a Curse drifts by largely without anything of import to note. Guitar; monotonous; tight beats; fair enough.

 

Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Town promises so much with that title, and in a way I expect it delivers for fans of The Fall. It's everything I think it will be; truncated thoughts spewing out into the void of the music, like an abstract painting, each line delivered like the last, a sea of unconnected thoughts to the uninitiated like me. I'm trying here, but it's not my cup of tea.

 

Service is far too dance for me, like a lost filler track from the Manchester club scene.

 

The League of Bald Headed Men just makes me feel like an idiot. I desperately want to like it, how could you not with a title like that? I hear how smart Smith is, and how his lyrics are cutting and dry, but I'm left nonplussed.

 

Past Gone Mad takes me back to the dance vibe. It gets pleasingly bassier but doesn't really go anywhere with it.

 

Light/Fireworks is the kind of off-the-wall final track that almost sums up the album as whole; disjointed. The first minute is all loops and experimental beats, and the final minute is an upbeat tempo without vocals. Yet, in the middle is where Smith resides, and all I could think was it sounds like a man having a play with saying things into a tape recorder in his bedsit.

 

I clearly miss something when it comes to The Fall. I'm not unintelligent (I got a C in General Studies) yet I feel stupid because I just don't get it. Reading Smith's lyrics helps things take shape somewhat, as it's more the type of thing I associate with beat poetry, however once the music starts, other than the odd track that's more mainstream in its guitar-led and traditionally lyrical approach, I'm left cold. I don't dislike it, I just don't actively like it, if that makes sense.

 

5/10

[TheHowieLama]

Good there fella -- repped for getting a C.

 

I didn't really take a shine to it -- certainly it is somewhat unique in the vast wash of stuff I dont actively like because of the vocal delivery. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

@Babb'sBurstNad Rules? What rules? 

[Lee909]

Ok, starting to really think what to go for when my pick comes up

I have two albums that i like but wondering if they are a bit long as both are live albums(i think both artists are just that bit better live than in the studio) whats the thoughts on double albums?

 

I have others if its a no go, no issue

[Carvalho Diablo]

No rules, pick what you like mate. 

[Guest]

So long as it's not an Oasis double album that's live I would be interested to hear it.

[TheHowieLama]

There are a shitload of rules -- please refer to the OP post.

[Lee909]

Great

Didn't want to stick something up that would be a issue

Now f you like it or not is another thing

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I should be able to get back up to speed when I finally get back in to our house this week.